


One of the Hunted

by Chasyn



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: But Tony and Steve have a kid, Future, Humor, I'm Bad At Tagging, Kid Fic, Loki is a good guy, M/M, Maybe a post-apocalyptic vibe, No mpreg, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pet Phones, Ultimate Spiderman vibes, sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-12
Updated: 2014-09-22
Packaged: 2018-02-17 03:17:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2294804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chasyn/pseuds/Chasyn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve's worst fear is waking up 70 years in the future again. Tony's worst fear is fucking up his kid's life. So what happens when on the day after their kid's birth, Steve wakes up and it's not the day after? And everyone is gone? With the help of a stranger, an old enemy, and a confused friend, will he be able to find and restore the Avengers?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is the story that has leeched into my brain and taken over all my brain power. Hope you enjoy it. If not... then I hope you find something else to read.

Tony paced back and forth in the waiting room. It had been blocked off for the six of them, to keep them out of the public eye. But mostly, it was because Tony kept yelling and disturbing everyone. "Why are we doing this?" He snapped loudly, turning towards Steve. "Who authorized this?"

Steve was leaning against a support pillar near the center of the room. His hands were shoved deep in his pockets and he was smiling. "Tony, calm down."

"Seriously!" Tony threw up his arms. "This is fucked up!"

Steve pushed away from the pillar and pulled out his hands. "Tony, this was your idea."

"Yeah but…" Tony turned and ran a hand through his hair. He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Who would give me a kid? Who would trust me with a kid?"

Steve's smile only widened. "It's a bit late for doubts."

Tony threw up his arms as he spun around. "Why did we use me? This kid's going to be fucked up. Why aren't you bio-dad?"

"Tony, calm down."

"This is stupid. This is ridiculous. I'm going to kill it!"

Steve laughed and shook his head. It was fun watching the mechanic panic. Again. His tendencies to be overdramatic never ceased to surprise the Captain.

"This isn't funny!" Tony glared at him. "I'm going to kill it!

"You're going to be fine." Steve stepped closer and grabbed Tony's hands in his. "We're going to do fine. We, remember. This is my kid too."

Tony smiled slowly. "You're going to be a great dad."

Steve smiled. "So are you."

The happiness in Tony's eyes lasted for a whole minute. Then he wrenched his hands away and spun around. "No, I'm not. I'm going to blow it up in some accident in my workshop or something!"

Steve grew serious for a second. He grabbed Tony's hand and pulled him closer. "Tony, the baby is not allowed in your workshop when you blow things up. You are not allowed in your workshop when you blow things up. "

The rest of the group had remained silent so far. Natasha and Clint were sitting beside each other on the couch and across from them, Thor and Bruce sat on another. They all pretended to read various bad magazines. Clint, though, tossed his magazine on the table and leaned back. "You really should stop blowing things up altogether, dude." He said, looking over at Tony.

Tony glared at Clint. Then he slowly turned his glare towards Steve. "We should be in there."

"You got us kicked out."

Tony threw up his arms. "It was taking too long!"

Steve was trying really hard not to laugh. "You can't… schedule or… speed up a birth. It's a natural process. You have to be patient."

Clint shook his head. "Tony and patient in the same sentence?"

Natasha slapped Clint in the back of the head. "Stop talking."

Clint glared at her. "Well if they don't want me talking, then they should leave. We were waiting here first."

"Shut up." She slapped him again.

"It doesn't even have a name yet." Tony whined loudly. "Already we're horrible parents."

Steve rolled his eyes. "You said you wanted to meet it first before we picked out a name. You said that was common courtesy."

"Well… it's rude to keep calling it… it."

Steve shrugged. "Well, I like the old fashioned not knowing until its born thing."

"Ah ha!" Tony shouted in triumph and pointed an accusing finger at Steve. "Finally! Something's that's your fault! This is all your fault!"

"Tony, come here." Steve held out his arms and Tony automatically melted into him. Steve held him tightly against him. "Take a deep breath, okay? We talked about this. We talked about all of this. In great detail and great length. You're going to be a great dad. We both will. We'll make mistakes, I'm sure. Every parent does. And it'll all be new and scary. But it'll be fine, okay?"

Tony sniffled a bit and held onto Steve tighter than was necessary. Then he let him go and pushed him away. He straightened up and brushed off his suit. For a moment, Tony looked like his confident, cocky self. Then he deflated again. "Why are we doing this?"

The whole room let out a collective groan and Tony glared at each one of them. "You all suck. I hate you all. Get out of here."

"You can't kick us out." Clint said with a smile. "It's a hospital."

Tony continued to glare at him. "It's my hospital."

"Sir, I don't mean to interrupt your tirade."

"Shut up, Jarvis." Tony snapped.

"My apologies." The AI said evenly. "Let me know when you are finished and I will offer my congratulations."

Tony spun around. "What?"

"You and Captain Rogers are now parents."

"What?" His eyes widened. "It happened? It's here?"

Steve grabbed Tony's hand. "Come on."

Tony let Steve pulled him along. "What is it?"

"Do not answer, Jarvis. Please." Steve said firmly as he turned to address the team. "Give us a few minutes and we'll call you in."

"Just go." Natasha urged with a smile.

Thor leaned back and tossed his magazine away. "Don't keep the wee one waiting."

Steve nodded and pulled Tony through the doors. "Jarvis, how's Miss Wind?"

"She is exhausted but appears to be recovering nicely." Jarvis answered.

"Has she… seen the baby?"

"No. She is respecting sir's request."

"Request?" Tony scoffed as they entered the maternity wing. "I paid her to fuck off once the baby popped out."

"Tony!" Steve snapped.

"Oh whatever." Tony waved him off. "We were renting her womb."

"Tony." Steve shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Sir, Miss Potts sends her congratulations." Jarvis said. "She's leaving the office now and will be on her way shortly."

Tony nodded. "Send up through when she gets here."

"Mr. Stark, Mr. Rogers." They turned to the nurse who addressed them. She smiled warmly at them. "Put these gowns on and wash your hands." Tony rolled his eyes and was about to protest when she shook her head. "You aren't setting foot in that room until you do. I don't care whose name is on that building. Last thing you need is to pass some bacterial infection to your newborn baby."

"Baby." Tony repeated slowly. He spun around and gripped the front of Steve's shirt, hard. "We have a baby!"

"Yes. Now…" Steve pried him off and steered him towards the sink. He turned the faucet on and pushed Tony gently. "Sorry." He said, turning to address the nurse with a smile. "It just hit him that this is really happening. Over and over again. Over the past few hours. I promise, he's really more prepared for all this."

"How come you aren't more nervous?" Tony snapped as Steve helped him into the hospital gown.

Steve laughed softly and smiled. "Honey, you're nervous enough for the both of us."

Tony glared. "I hate you."

Steve shook his head. "No you don't."

"No I don't." Tony whined. "Let's get this over with." He grabbed Steve's hand and pulled him towards the door. "We're clean. Move."

Steve offered the nurse a smile. "He means thank you so much for all your concern and for being so great at your job. Can we need the baby now, please?"

The nurse eyed Tony for a moment. Then she smiled and nodded and opened the door. Another nurse stood inside the large hospital room. She was bent over a small crib in the center of the room. She looked over at them and smiled. "I'll leave the three of your alone. If you need any help, someone will be right out there. I'll get a bottle ready for you."

Steve nodded. "Thank you." He stepped forward and looked down at the wrinkly pink thing. It was wrapped up tightly in a yellow blanket. Gently and slowly, Steve bent down over the bed. He tucked his hands under the baby and lifted it up. It opened its eyes and its tiny mouth and let out a squeak. It surprised him and Steve fumbled for a moment.

Tony shot forward and stabilized Steve's grip. He guided the man's hands. "Here, like this. Against your chest. Watch the head."

Steve smiled at Tony. "Thanks."

"Yeah, you'll be fine. I'll go get her bottle now."

Tony steered Steve towards the rocking chair. "Sit." Steve did as was told, careful not to jostle the baby too much. Tony pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Take lots of pictures." He commanded and tossed it into the air.

When Tony first made the flying phones and installed basic AI's into them, Steve had laughed. It was basically a pet phone and was a foolish toy no one needed. But now, as Steve sat in the chair and Tony leaned over him, smiling, Steve was glad to have the phone flitting about, clicking pictures.

Tony straightened up suddenly. "Wait… did she just say…" She glanced back at the door."

"Her." Steve said, smiling. "We have a little girl."

"A daughter." Tony sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck. "Shit. I have to get a shotgun."

Steve laughed loudly. "I think we have a few years before we have to worry about that."

"Oh no." Tony said, shaking his head. "Look at her. She's going to be gorgeous."

Steve rolled his eyes and shook his head. He looked down at her and smiled. "She does have your eyes."

Tony nodded slowly. "She's got your chin."

Steve shook his head. "That's not possible."

Tony shrugged and leaned down closer. He wrapped his arms around Steve's neck and leaned against his back. "Next time, you're batting."

Steve smiled. "Tony, let's make sure we can keep this one alive before planning the next."

Tony gasped. "You doubt my fathering skills?"

"Like 10 minutes ago you were whining about…"

A knock at the door interrupted his thought. Clint poked his head in. "Sorry to interrupt but…"

"You guys can come in." Steve offered and Tony let out a groan.

"No." Clint shook his head as he opened the door farther. "Well… not that we don't want to. But we're going to have to put welcoming the new team member party on hold. We're being called in."

Tony let go and straightened up. Steve stood up slowly and stepped towards the crib. He let out a sigh as he set the baby down gently. "One day." He said with a sigh.

"If we could, we would just leave you." Clint said with reluctance. "But Fury says this is big. He's calling in other teams too."

Tony moved to stand next to Steve. He crossed his arms and glared at Clint, like the whole situation was the archer's fault. "Then he won't miss us."

"Tony." Steve threw his arm around the mechanic's shoulders and squeezed. Regret showed on his face. "If Fury's that concerned, we all need to go. She'll be fine. She's in a hospital. We'll rush back as soon as we can."

Tony glanced down at the tiny, wiggling baby. He let out a sigh. "First lesson, baby girl… daddies have to go to work."

Steve smiled and pulled Tony along. "Come on. It'll be fun."

"Fun? Tony rolled his eyes. "Since when do you call Fury's shit fun?"

Clint smiled. "So a little girl, huh?"

Tony glared at him. "Yes. Move." Clint stepped aside as Tony pushed through the door. "Jarvis, where's Pepper?"

"She arrived a few minutes ago, sir." He answered. "She was stopped on the first floor."

"Stopped? Damnit. Get her up here. Tell her we have to leave. Hey! You!" He pointed to the nurse who was fetching them a bottle. "We have to leave. A friend of ours is on her way up. Pepper Potts."

"Virginia Potts." Steve added.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Until we get back, she's the only one allowed in there, alright?"

Steve flashed her a quick smile before she could respond. "Other than the wonderful doctors and nurses who work in this fine hospital, of course."

Tony rolled his eyes.

Steve tugged on him again. "Tony, it's a hospital. She can't get hurt in a hospital."

"And hey!" Clint snapped his fingers. "If she does, she's in a hospital."

"Clint, you aren't helping." Steve snapped.

"Dude, she's like tiny." Clint continued on, following them down the hall. "She can't talk or walk or hold her head up. She's less than an hour old. What can she honestly get into?"

"Stop talking, Clint. We need to go." Steve stopped as they entered the empty waiting room. "Where is everyone?"

Clint shrugged. "They already left. As soon as we got the call. I got left behind to get you guys."

Tony glared at the archer and looked like he wanted to strangle the man. "Why didn't you say that? We could have already left!"

"A couple minutes really make that much difference?"

"Clint, I highly recommend you shut up." Steve said, grabbing Tony's hand. "Jarvis, you got us a ride?"

"On the roof, Captain Rogers."

Steve slowed a bit. "That would be…"

"This way." Clint said, turning. He led them around the corner and to the service elevator.

"How do you know the way around my hospital?" Tony asked as they stepped inside.

Clint shrugged. "I was bored waiting for the little princess to make her appearance."

"You can't rush a birth." Tony said with a smile. "It's a natural process."

Clint smiled and crossed his arms. "So does the little princess have a name?"

"No." Tony snapped.

"Come on dude." Clint whined. We've all been dying to know."

"Actually, she doesn't." Steve said. "Tony wanted to wait until she was born."

"Well that's stupid."

Tony glared at him. "Who fucking asked you?"

"Rebecca?" Steve said suddenly.

Tony glanced over at him and shrugged. "Ashley?"

Steve shook his head. "Jennifer?"

"No. Amanda?"

Steve tilted his head, thinking. "Bailey?"

"Astrid?"

"Oh god no!" Clint said.

"You don't get a say." Tony snapped.

Steve smiled. "Patricia?"

Tony stuck out his tongue. "April?"

Steve opened his mouth and closed it. Then he laughed. "You really stuck on A names, aren't you, Anthony?"

"Oh… uh… no…"


	2. Cold Never Bothered Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did you have to let him use me like a punching bag?

"Captain Rogers? Captain Steven Rogers? Can you hear me?"

"Be patient."

"I don't think it worked. Zap him again."

"Give him a moment."

"None of the others took this long. We need to be fast. We have to get out of here before we get caught."

"He was frozen once before."

"I read the files. I know." She snapped. "I just…" She took a deep breath. "Go watch the door. The guards could be back any moment."

"Oh yes, my lovely princess."

She sighed. "Come on. Please." She whispered. "Do you know how long I've been looking for you? Please! Wake up! Wake up! Please!"

He could hear the unknown, pleading voice. He had heard the sarcastic voice of her male companion. He could hear her, feel her hands on him – his arms, wrists, chest, neck – checking for signs of life – pulse, heartbeat, breathing. He was trying. He was. Slow… it was… slower… this time. This time? Frozen? The sarcastic voice said frozen. Steve didn't want to wake up. No, no, no. Tony, the baby… she didn't even have a name yet.

His eyes fluttered open and he snapped up. He breathed in deep and coughed. He blinked his eyes, fighting back tears, and ran a hand through his hair.

"Shhh!" The source of the pleading voice knelt back beside him. His sudden movements had caused her to jump up. "Captain Rogers, my name is Nicole Spencer and I'm an Agent of SHIELD. You have to trust me, we have very little time." She spoke quickly. "We have to get you out of here." She stood up and took a step back. Her dark eyes were intense and her dark hair was short and held back with a headband. She looked like she was barely old enough to drive, let alone be a SHIELD agent.

"Agent Spencer…" He said slowly. He knew all the new members of SHIELD. Once he, Natasha, and Sam took out Hydra, Fury had rebuilt SHIELD from the bottom up. Steve may have been a little paranoid, but he went over every file of every person Fury hired. He knew them all by name and face. He knew all their spouses and their kids. Their whole families. Nicole Spencer was not a member of SHIELD. At least not of the SHIELD he knew yesterday.

He rubbed at his eyes and choked out a sigh. If he had slept another 70 years, Tony was long gone. All the other Avengers too, except maybe Thor. Peggy, Pepper, Hill, Fury, Coulson… everyone he knew and loved was dead. Again. And their nameless daughter… if she were alive, she'd be old. He wouldn't know her… she wouldn't know him.

"Yes." Agent Spencer said loudly, trying to get his attention. "Now, can you get up? We don't have time to be slow and gentle about this. We've been here long enough already. We have to get going."

He was moving too slowly. His muscles were taking too long to wake up. He leaned forward and pulled his legs up under him. He had to really try, he had to really think about it and concentrate. He slowly pushed up and stumbled. "How… long…"

She stepped back, giving him ample room as he staggered a bit and caught himself. She held up her hands and shook her head. "We don't have time now. I promise I'll explain everything and answer all your questions after we get out of here."

Steve shook his head. "How long?" He demanded.

She held her ground. "Look Captain Rogers, I need you to focus. You have a breakdown, you get us killed. And I risked a lot to get you out."

He swallowed the lump in his throat. His home, his friends… family… Tony… his unnamed daughter… He pushed them down and closed off his heart. He let out a sigh and nodded. "Okay. Where are we?"

She hesitated for a moment. Then she rolled her eyes and ran a hand through her hair, looking nervous for the first time. "Fine." She said with a sigh. "We are at the main Hydra base in Antarctica."

His eyes slowly widened. "Hydra's still…"

She nodded quickly. "Yes. We need to go."

He shook his head slowly. "We took care of Hydra. We wiped them out. We hunted every member down…"

"I know." Spencer said, nodding her head. "A very small division escaped capture. I could explain more but really, we have to go."

Steve closed his eyes. "I'm sorry. But to me, an hour ago I was…" What? Something. He remembered being at the hospital. He remembered Clint saying they were called in. He remembered leaving and Jarvis sending the Iron Man suit to pick them up. Tony had threatened to drop Clint. "I'm having trouble remembering. But I know I was at SHIELD, being briefed with my team."

She nodded slowly. "I know. I understand. But have your meltdown after we get out." She turned and sucked in a breath. "Shit. He's gone."

Steve followed her gaze. The sarcastic man. He had forgotten. "Who?"

She touched her ear, triggering a small communication device. "Loki?" She hissed. "Can you hear me?"

His eyes widened. "Loki?"

She held up her hand, silencing him. "Loki, report on your location. Now." She didn't get an answer. "Damnit, Loki. Please tell me I haven't lost you again." It was silent. "Shit." She turned back to Steve. "He's highly susceptible to the spell. If he's under, I'm going to need you to take him down. The second we spot him, go after him. I'll cover you if needed."

Steve nodded slowly. "I can do that."

"He'll probably be unresponsive so you'll have to be rough. He can take it."

Steve's eyes widened slightly. "Uh…"

She turned to the door and waved him down. "Since you were just unfrozen, you should be temporarily immune. But keep your head down and don't make eye contact with anyone, not even Loki."

Steve wanted to interject. He wanted to ask questions. But he kept his mouth shut. He wasn't too proud to admit when he was out of his element. And he was so out.

"Don't engage anyone unless absolutely necessary." She said in a commanding tone. "You'll get your chance to take them down again. I promise. Once we get you back to base and make sure you have no lasting damage."

"I feel fine." That was a lie. "Physically fine." He corrected.

"You've been frozen twice. That can't be good for a normal person."

He shrugged. "I'm not exactly normal." He mumbled.

"Precisely why we need to check you out."

He nodded slowly and let out a sigh. "I understand."

She sighed. "This was supposed to be a simple search and rescue mission. We go in, we get you, we get back out before they even know we were here. Now we have to rescue half of the rescue team." She stopped and pressed herself against the wall behind the door. "Someone's coming." She hissed. "Stand over in the middle. Pretend to be confused."

He didn't have to pretend. He was thoroughly confused. He sighed and stepped into the center of the room. He took a quick second to glance around. It didn't look like any sort of dungeon or cell or anything. It looked like someone's bedroom. A pair of bunk beds lined the walls on one side. It was a horribly sparse bedroom. But it was still a bedroom. No guards, no restraints, the door wasn't even locked. He was nothing to them. Not a threat or danger. He really wanted to prove them wrong.

"Something happened to the security cameras on this floor." A voice filtered in. "You, check the rooms down that hall. You, go that way. Be quiet. We don't want to wake anyone unless we need to." A moment later, the door swung open loudly. For claiming not wanting to wake anyone up, he wasn't exactly good at being quiet. The guard took two full steps into the room before he turned and actually looked. He frowned and lifted his gun. "Hey. How'd you unfreeze?"

Agent Spencer lifted her gun and fired. Steve didn't even hear it. The guard simply fell over. Steve's eyes widened as he stepped closer. "Is he dead?"

"Paralyzed." She said, bending down to grab his weapon. "He'll be fine in about 30 minutes."

Steve glanced down at the man briefly. He wondered how truthful this Agent Spencer was.

"Here." She handed him the Hydra gun. "You can use that, right?"

He turned it over and nodded slowly. "I think so."

"Good. Don't use it." She said, shaking her head. "I don't want you fighting. Now. Bend down and hold still."

Without hesitation, Steve moved closer to her. He had a good foot on her in height. He leaned over and she clipped something small on his ear. It pricked him but he remained still.

She stepped back. "Try not to touch it until it becomes acclimated which takes about ten minutes. Actually, don't touch it all at for now. It links into your nervous system and your brain and works as a communicator, a tracker, and lots of other cool things I'll explain later." She turned her head slightly and pointed to her ear. "It'll connect you directly to the team, me, at all times. And before you freak out, it can be turned off and on and it's really easy to work. Really. Just an advanced… what did you call them… cell phone."

Steve eyed the tiny device on her own ear. A small cuff, like an earring.

"Come on. Stick close." She peeked into the hall. "Clear." She whispered.

Steve paused. He had heard her voice clearly, like she was speaking directly in his ear. That was going to be weird. Absently, he wondered if Tony would like the tiny earring phone. It didn't fly or talk or come when it was called. He let out a sigh and shook his head.

"Focus." She led him down the hall at a quick pace. She took out the two guards sent to check the halls before they could even think about calling for backup. "We need to find Loki. Keep a look out while I trace him."

He nodded and peeked around the corner.

She touched her earpiece and a holographic display of the base appeared before her. "Locate Loki." She whispered. A green dot began to flicker. "Looks like he's in one of the rooms. Fifth one down on the right."

Steve pulled back. "There're two guards out front."

"There's one inside with him too." The display vanished and she stood up. "We need to be quiet. These rooms are full of sleeping Hydra soldiers. Move. Let me see if I can hit them from here." She peeked around the corner and fired twice. Both guards fell. Without a word, she slipped out and ran to the door. Steve stayed on her tail and pulled the door open when they reached it. She fired quickly and moved back into the hall. "Grab him. I'll keep watch."

Steve slipped inside. Loki was standing in the center of the room, a long blue staff in his hand. He made no movements or showed any recognition as Steve moved closer. He made sure to avoid the mischievous god's eyes. "Uh… Loki?" Nothing. Steve grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the door. He met no resistance. He remembered Spencer's words about being rough. He shook his head and grabbed the unresponsive god and threw him over his shoulder. He rejoined Spencer in the hall and piqued an eyebrow.

A large pile of Hydra soldiers lay paralyzed in a pile. Beside them, she was piling up their weapons. She lifted her gun to the pile and fired at them. "It works on them too. It neutralizes them." She turned around and shook her head. "Loki, you ass." She ducked around behind him and yanked the staff from Loki's grasp. Then she thrust it at Steve. "Don't drop this. And try not to wave it around too much. It's important."

He grabbed it and nodded. Then he fumbled for a second, juggling the Hydra gun, staff, and god. He managed to tuck the gun in his belt.

She nodded. "Keep moving. We need to get to the sub before it's too late."

"For what?"

"Later." She said, waving. "Through here. This is where we came in." She opened the door and waved him inside. She followed and closed the door. "Put those on." She said, indicating a pile of winter gear. She immediately began pulling on another set.

"What about him?" Steve asked as he set Loki and his staff down.

"Loki's technically a frost giant." She said as she pulled on the overly fluffy jacket. "He can survive the cold."

He pulled the coat, gloves, pants on and tied the hood until no part of him was visible. "Is this really necessary?"

She shrugged. "Probably not. I believe you could survive too, for a short period of time at least. But we don't have time to test so… suck it up soldier."

He nodded slowly as he bent down to pick up Loki. "Okay. Now where?"

"The window." She walked over to the window. She pulled open the black curtains and light flooded the room.

Steve stepped closer and stared out the window. "What time is it?"

"2:13 pm." She answered after touching her earpiece and bringing up the display. "Why?"

"The Hydra soldiers are all sleeping." He said, glancing back at the closed door. "There's only a few awake, guarding the place. Shouldn't it be more… busy? Why are they sleeping in during the day?"

"We don't have the time." She said, pulling the window open. "But basically, they operate at night. Now, can we go?"

Steve sighed. The list of things she was going to explain later kept getting bigger and bigger. He adjusted his hold on Loki. "How high up are we?"

She shrugged. "Not too high that his is going to hurt." She turned and took a few steps back. "I hope." Then she ran for the window and jumped out.

Wide eyed, Steve ran to the window and peaked out.

"The snow cushions the fall." Her voice said through the tech in his ear. "Throw Loki down. Hard."

He could just barely make her out in all the bright white. It was hard to see anything. "Are you sure?"

"Trust me." She said. "He can take it."

Despite her command to throw him hard, Steve leaned out the window as far as he could and attempted to gingerly drop the unconscious god to the ground. He dropped the staff a few moments later.

"Loki? Loki!" He could hear Spencer's voice even if he couldn't exactly see her. "Whatever." She let out a sigh. "Captain Rogers, your turn." A moment later, he was on the ground beside her. "Okay, that took longer than I wanted." She said, turning. "The first guards I hit are going to start waking up in a few minutes and we have an hour's trek to the sub."

Steve waved his arm. "Lead the way."

Spencer turned and started jogging. Steve quickly collected Loki and his staff and caught up with her. "Jay." She said softly. "If you can hear me, we're on our way to the sub now. Loki's down but we have the Captain."

"Who's Jay?" Steve asked.

"Drives the sub." She answered. "Now hush. Breathing in cold air is bad for your lungs… well… my lungs at least. Plus, we need to be quiet."

Steve followed close behind. She kept a steady, fast pace. He had no problem keeping up, of course. He was surprised she could. But then again, she was apparently a SHIELD agent. Steve kept his eyes on the perimeter. He scanned the area around them every few minutes out of habit. But he couldn't see anything other than ice and snow. All over the place.

Rather abruptly, the snow and ice ended and there was water as far as could be seen. Agent Spencer pulled up. "Jay, raise the sub. Jay?" She glanced back. "He must be having a connection problem." She pulled her gloves off and touched her earpiece. "Shit, that's brisk." Her holographic display popped up and she ran her fingers over it. "It seems that the magnetic field is interfering with Jay's connection." She explained. "We're pretty far away and the satellites went down about… well… they went down a while back."

Steve nodded slowly like he understood exactly what she was talking about. He didn't really but he got the gist. Well he thought he did. "What does that mean? We're stuck?"

She shook her head. "We're going to have to manually pilot the sub." She tilted her head slowly. "Can you pilot a sub? It's an older one we salvaged. I did do a few techy upgrades but mostly, it's old. Like really old."

He nodded slowly. "Shouldn't be a problem."

She breathed out a sigh of relief and smiled. "A bit of good luck." She mumbled. "I was afraid this would happen. I was counting on Loki driving."

Steve tilted his head, watching her. "You can upgrade the tech on a submarine but you can't drive one."

"I… can't drive anything yet." She muttered. She turned back to stare at the water. "Once we get deep enough, the autopilot can take over. And once we get north enough away from this interference, Jay should be able to take over, I hope/ I just need you to get us that far."

The water began churning and the sub broke the surface. It was larger than Steve expected. Spencer got it to fully surface and popped the door open. Without a word, she climbed up on it and waved Steve to follow. He moved a bit awkwardly under Loki's weight and stumbled as he leapt up on the sub. Spencer slipped inside and looked up at him. "Throw him down."

"Hard, right?"

"You catch on quick."

He rolled his eyes as he dropped Loki and squeezed through the hatch. He pulled it shut and looked around. It looked a bit more tech equipped than the small few subs he had been in before. He sat down in the pilot's seat and began looking over the control panel. The sub lurched and sunk, then rolled on its side.

Spencer stumbled back and landed hard on her side. Then Loki landed on top of her. "Get off, Loki!" She snapped and rolled him off. "This is ridiculous. You have got to wake up." She jumped up and leaned over him. "Loki." She said loudly. "Loki!" She lifted her hand and slapped him as hard as she could.

Steve heard the sound and glanced back to see her do it again. And again. And again and again. After the sixth time, she stopped and leaned closer to stare at him. Steve shook his head slowly and turned his attention back to the sub. They were deep enough to avoid hitting anything. And it looked clear, as far as the sonar was telling him. He set the autopilot and got up.

Spencer glanced up as he walked over. "Good. You give it a try. I'm not strong enough."

Steve stared at her. "You want me to slap him?"

"No, of course not." She said as she stood up. She straightened her clothes and stepped back. "I want you to slam his head against the floor. Or the wall." She tilted her head slightly. "Whatever feels right to you."

For a moment, he thought she was joking. But her serious expression quickly changed his mind. "You want me… to what?"

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "I've said it like three times. He can take it." She said slowly, stressing each word. "He can take it." She repeated.

Steve glanced down at the unresponsive Loki.

"Just do it."

Steve sighed as he bent down and grabbed Loki by his collar. This was weird. This whole thing was weird. He woke up in some bizarre alternate universe or something. He hauled the unconscious god up and hurled him against the metal wall. If he were being honest with himself, it felt surprisingly good. No reaction. He pulled him up and swung him again. Then he hauled him up again, held him against the wall, and punched him. And then he punched him again. The Asgardian made a good punching bag.

Loki's mouth opened and he sucked in a breath. "Stop!" Steve released him and Loki slid to the floor. He clutched at his head and blinked a few times. His eyes were having trouble focusing. So was his head. "Shiiiiit." He breathed out.

Spencer knelt down in front of him. She pulled Loki's chin up and stared into his eyes. She waved her hand in front of him. "Loki, you back with me?" She stared for a moment before breathing out a sigh of relief and releasing him. She rocked back on her heels and smiled widely. "You had me worried, picklehead."

Loki pushed her hands away and let out a groan. "Did you have to let him use me like a punching bag?"

Steve flinched and stepped back, feeling guilty.

"Yes!" Spencer whined, standing up. She took a step back and crossed her arms. "It's getting bad, Loki. I'm going to have to stop taking you out in the field."

"No!" Loki jumped to his feet and lunged for her. Spencer didn't flinch as he grabbed her arms. "No! You can't! You promised!"

"I know!" She said with a sigh. "But what if next you can't be brought back?"

He smiled slyly. "Hit me harder until you can."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Loki…"

He released her and glared at her. "You need me. Without my stick, they all stay frozen. And only I can use it."

"Without me, you'd either be locked in a cell or a puppet." She said sarcastically. "You need me to save your little boyfriend."

His glare narrowed more. "Don't you dare threaten me. You promised me if I got you the soldier…" He pointed at Steve. "We'd go after Thor."

Steve glanced at Spencer. "Thor?"

"And we will." She continued on, ignoring Steve for the moment. "I just think… we need more muscle before we try to break into your old castle. Hawk or Widow… we need more backup."

Steve's eyes widened slowly.

She threw up her arms. "Especially if you keep going all purple eyed."

Loki gestured more dramatically at Steve. "Yeah, that's what he's for." He said louder.

She crossed her arms and took a step closer to Loki. "If he agrees to help us." She screamed at him.

Loki rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Oh of course he would, Bree." He said with a snide laugh. "He would do anything to save any of them."

"Bree?" Steve frowned, his head reeling. Was even she with SHIELD? Was Loki? Were they working for someone else? Was this a trap? Were the Avengers still alive? Maybe he was only frozen a few months, weeks, days. Tony! Push it down, he thought, taking a deep breath. "I thought your name was Nicole Spencer?" He asked evenly.

Loki turned to look at Steve. He smiled slowly. "Oh Bree." He looked back at her. "Starting out with lies?"

Steve stepped closer to them, his eyes on the dark haired girl. "Are you even with SHIELD?"

"SHIELD?" Loki laughed.

"Damnit, Loki!" She pushed him as hard as she could. He stumbled back a bit and laughed louder. She glared at him.

"How long was I frozen?" Steve demanded. "Where're the other Avengers?" He moved even closer to them and screamed. "There is Tony?"

Whoever she was stuck up her hands. "Calm down, Captain Rogers." She took a step back.

"Where is Tony?" He repeated, softer this time, but just as firmly.

"Honestly… I don't know." She breathed out. She turned slowly and… regret? "I've been looking for him for five years. For all of you. You're the first Avenger I've found and unfrozen."

Loki waved his hand. "Uh… I unfroze him."

Steve glanced at the god for a moment before looking back at her. "The first… they're all frozen?"

"Yes." She nodded slowly and swallowed.

"All the Avengers?"

She glanced back at Loki.

He shrugged and pointed to the floor. "I'm just going to sit here." He sat down and crossed his legs. "It's quite entertaining watching you dig yourself out. You could have avoided all or this by just telling him the truth."

She glared at him. "We didn't have time for the truth!" She snapped. "We have to get back to the base before nightfall."

Loki shrugged and leaned against the metal wall. "You do." He glanced at Steve. "He might. I don't."

Her glare intensified for a moment before she turned back to address Steve. She took a deep breath. "Not just the Avengers. Several were frozen. Everyone who was called in… the day your daughter was born."


	3. World Darkens Around Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know why you wanted to get back before nightfall.

_Fury cleared his throat, getting the attention of everyone gathered there. "I've assembled you all here because you all…"_

" _We know." Tony shouted suddenly, stepped forward and throwing up his arms. "Blah, blah, blah, superhero shit."_

_Steve followed and grabbed his hand and Tony stilled for a moment. He looked over at Fury and nodded. "If maybe we could skip the pleasantries and get on with it, sir."_

_Fury returned the nod slowly. "I understand your rush." A smile slowly spread across his face. A rarity. "A congratulations is in order. A little girl, correct?"_

_Tony glared at him. "How the fuck do you already know?"_

" _Dude!" Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four was the first to rush over. "That's awesome!"_

" _Yeah, yeah, yeah." Tony waved him and everyone else that was crowding around them off. "Big party at our place when this is all over. Everyone's invited. Can we please get on with it?"_

Steve blinked, yawned, and shook his head. That felt like an eternity away. He took a deep breath and glanced over at his two… rescuers, companions, captors… honestly, he wasn't sure what they were. Loki was sitting at the controls, leaning back in the chair with his feet up on the panel. Bree-whoever was sitting on the floor, her hands running over her holographic display screen thing? Whatever it was.

_Ten minutes ago, they had been talking, Steve thinking he was finally going to get some answers, when Loki suddenly stopped Bree. "Can you wait until we get back before telling him everything?"_

_She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You just said I should have told him the truth from the beginning."_

" _Not like… the whole truth-truth." He argued. "And I can change my mind."_

_Steve frowned. "Why?"_

" _So I can hide." Loki said simply. "I'm not actually looking forward to being your punching bag."_

_Steve was about to ask what that meant when Bree interrupted his thoughts. "That's actually a pretty good idea." She said and he looked over at her. "You should get some rest. The unfreezing process takes a lot of energy from you. We have three hours until we get close enough for Jay to pick us up." She turned and pointed to the other end of the sub. "There's a couch in the back."_

_He was silent for a moment, watching her. "You'll tell me everything when we get to where we're going… this base of yours or whatever it is. You'll explain."_

_She nodded. "I'll tell you whatever you want to know."_

She had spoken the truth. He had feel it already. He was tired. Not sleepy, exactly. His body was tired. His muscles, his head. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes. Sleep would speed things up.

**-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-**

She sat in the pilot's seat, hugging her knees to her chest and resting her chin on her knees. She wasn't touching anything. She wasn't doing anything really. Her eyes glanced over the sonar displays but she really wasn't seeing them. Her eyes were glazed over and she sniffed, hugging her knees harder.

"Little Princess."

She glanced sideways as Loki appeared beside her. "Stop calling me that." She mumbled halfheartedly.

He moved closer and leaned against the panel. He smiled widely and crossed his arms. "I've been calling you that for years. Now tell Uncle Picklehead what's on that pretty little mind of yours."

She ducked her head more, trying to hide the small smile. After a moment, she let out a long sigh. "I just… I guess… I saw today going… differently." She admitted softly.

Loki tilted his head slightly. "Different how?" He asked softly.

She shrugged a bit and lifted her head. "I don't know… I just thought… I thought he'd… he'd look at me and… just know."

"Oh honey." Loki smiled wickedly. "That's just stupid."

"Shut up, Loki!" She jumped up and pushed against him. "Just shut up!"

Loki rolled his eyes and held out his arms. She glared at him for a moment before stepping closer and letting him envelope her in his long arms. He held her tight and she pressed her head against his chest. "Princess, he met you once. For like half a second."

"I know but…" She mumbled against his chest.

"Shhh. Be patient." He soothed. "I promised you, I will fix all of this. Patience, little Princess."

She sighed deeply.

They were so wrapped up in each other that neither realized Steve had stirred. He fully woke up but kept his eyes closed and his breathing even. Inwardly, he rejoiced. They had met before. She had said so. Nicole or Bree, whoever she was, she was some daughter or niece or distant relative of a SHIELD agent, playing agent herself. Or some fangirl who had a crush on him. There were a lot of those. A lot of fanboys too. He wasn't sure what Loki's angle was. But it had to be a trick of some sort.

All that mattered to him was that this meant she was still alive. His daughter. It meant that it hadn't been very long. A few months, a year? It meant she was very much still alive. Most likely with Pepper.

He'd wait until they got to their base. Then the first chance he got, he'd vanish. He'd find Pepper and his daughter. Then he'd find Tony. And together, they'd find the rest of their rag-tag family.

**-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-**

"Okay. It's nearly sunset." Bree said, standing up. "We're cutting it close but Jay's in position with the jet. We should make it." She clapped her hands together, all smiles.

Steve nodded slowly. He didn't argue. He didn't say anything. The last thing he wanted to do was bring attention to himself. Let them think he was complacent. Let them think he was happily going along with whatever lies they weren't telling him.

Bree spun towards Loki, still all smiles. "Loki."

The Asgardian rolled his eyes as he watched her, practically bouncing. "On it." He slid into the chair. The sub began ascending. It broke the surface and both Steve and Bree wavered on their feet as it came to a stop.

Bree turned towards him and pointed. "Open the hatch."

Steve reached up and turned the wheel. He pushed against it and it swung open. He pulled himself out and stood up. He glanced around and breathed in deep. It felt good to be out. He glanced up and the black jet was looming over head. It looked similar to the one they had used, the Avengers. Just… all black.

Bree and Loki pulled themselves up. "Alright Jay." Bree said, touching her ear tech. "Open the hanger." The jet lowered and the hanger door opened.

Steve looked down. "What about the sub?"

"Uh…" She glanced back. "Probably have Jay lower it and see if we can pick it up tomorrow. Don't have time now." She shrugged. She didn't seem to care. "It served its purpose. Jay, bring it lower."

Steve took a step back, lounged forward, and jumped. He grabbed the edge of the door and hoisted himself up.

"Yeah. We all can't do that."

Loki reached up and managed to pull himself up with a few grunts.

Bree crossed her arms and glared at them. "Show offs." She muttered.

Loki smiled and reached down. Steve stepped back as Loki pulled Bree up. She clapped her hands together and looked down over the edge at the sub. "Sink it, Jay." The sub slowly disappeared beneath the water. Then she spun on her heels and headed inside. Loki followed.

The hanger door began closing and Steve turned to follow them. "Where exactly are we going?"

"New York City." Bree answered smoothly.

Steve turned slightly, trying to hide his smile. That was perfect! "Really?" He tried not to sound too eager. But that was the best news he heard since he was woken back up. That was where their home was. That was where he'd find them.

Bree was nodding as she stepped up to the control panels. "Jay, we'll take over." Loki joined her and was already sitting down.

Steve glanced around but didn't see anyone.

"Jay runs things remotely." Bree answered, seeing his confusion. "When he can."

"Interference?" He asked.

She nodded. "Signals and power have been getting weaker lately. We try not to rely on it too much."

Steve nodded slowly.

"How we looking, Loki?" She turned her attention to the controls as she walked over to join him. She sat down beside him.

"Good." Loki said. "We'll make it back in plenty of time."

"Plenty?" She asked sarcastically.

"How uh… long is plenty?" Steve asked awkwardly. He shook his head. "I mean… how long until we get to the city?"

"Five minutes." Loki answered.

"Five?" Bree snapped. She shook her head. "No. Ten minutes to the base."

"He didn't ask how long it would take to get to the base." Loki retorted. "He asked how long to get to the city."

Steve tuned them out as he turned around. Five minutes. He began counting them in his head. 45 seconds. He glanced at Bree and Loki. For the moment, they'd forgotten he was there. 1 minute, 18 seconds. His eyes ran over every inch of the jet. 2 minutes. He was looking for… something. Anything. 3 minutes, 10 seconds. They settled on the emergency release for the hanger door. 3 minutes, 55 seconds. He glanced back at Loki and Bree. They were talking, arguing it looked like, in hushed tones. He was still forgotten. Swiftly and quietly, he stepped over to the switch. 4 minutes, 35 seconds. He looked once more back at them. 5 minutes. They'd be over the city now. Somewhere. Anywhere would be fine. He pulled the switch.

The door fell open and the jet lurched. He didn't even think. He just jumped. He heard Loki curse and Bree call his name. He heard them both through the damned tech in his ear. "Stop!" He screamed, covering his ear. Their voices were immediately silenced.

He had survived a fall from a similar height. Except this time, he didn't have his shield. He rolled himself into a ball seconds before he slammed into a large tree. His shoulder took the brunt of the collision and he gritted his teeth. He tried to cling to the branch but the pain made him falter and he lost his grip. He landed hard on his ass and rolled on his side. Sore and bruised and he was pretty sure his shoulder was popped out of joint. But he was alive. And in one piece. And free.

He rolled over, pushed himself up, and ran. He zigzagged through the few sparse trees. He stumbled a few times but he collected himself quickly. He made it through the park without anyone stopping him and ducked into the first building he came across. It was unlocked and dark. And empty. He squinted and caught the sight of books. Tall shelves of books. Library. He was in the public library. And it looked deserted.

He gritted his teeth as he stood up straighter. The muscles in his chest were pulling on his shoulder blade. With his good arm, he gripped it tight and slammed against the wall. He bit back a howl of pain as he did it a second time. He heard and felt the sickening pop and breathed out a long, painful breath. Slowly, he rotated his arm and stretched it above and then behind his back. Yeah, he was fine.

After shaking himself, he headed towards a row of tables. He ran his fingers along the top. A thick layer of dust and grime covered the top. He didn't understand. No one in the park. No one in the streets. No one in the library. It was all empty. It was getting late, sure. Maybe 8, he guessed. But still.

Steve touched the tech in his ear. "Display?" A holographic screen appeared before him. "Okay so… voice recognition. Right? Can you answer me?" The word yes appeared on screen. "An AI?" Yes appeared again. "You have to listen to what I say?" Yes, it repeated. "Okay. Can you disconnect me from Loki and… Bree?" Yes. "Do it. Alright. Bring up a map of the city." A map appeared. He stared at it. It didn't look right. "This is the current map of the city?" Yes. Steve shook his head. "Locate Avenger's Tower." No data. "Okay." He frowned at it. "Stark Industries? The Potts Tower?" A dot appeared on the screen. "Uh… where am I?" A second dot appeared. "Doesn't look too far away. Do you can a voice command?"

"Yes."

"Fantastic." He stood up and the display vanished. "Give me directions, please." He peeked out and the street was still empty. "Uh… so I don't feel like I'm talking to myself, can I call you something? A name?" He started down the street at speedy jog. "I had a phone with an AI that a friend named Sparky." He continued on. He smiled slightly as he remembered Peggy holding the newly invented StarkPhone. _"Tony called it a pet." She said. "It needs a name. How about Sparky? That's a common dog name."_

"You may call me whatever you like. I am basically a phone."

"Okay then. Sparky." Steve smiled slightly and shook his head. It was almost comforting. "Why are there no people on the street? Or anywhere? It feels deserted."

"It is deserted, sir." The voice answered.

"Steve." He corrected.

It continued on. "Those that are left remain indoors when the sun sets."

"Left? What does that…"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Steve, but you are being tracked."

He slowed and his display appeared in front of him. Two red dots popped up on the screen, a block behind him. He turned but couldn't see anything. "Bree and Loki?"

"No." It answered. "They are in the jet still, attempting to locate you."

Steve frowned. He stared at the two dots on the screen and then looked down the street. "Then who's following? You said everyone's inside."

"No." It said. "All the humans are inside."

Steve shook his head. "What does that mean?"

"Run." It simply said.

He took off the moment the voice said run. "Where?"

"Cut through the alley on your right, then take a left."

Steve did as the voice said. He slowed as he reached the end of the alley and stepped out onto the street. He turned left and glanced down the street.

"Keep going." The voice in his ear said. "Don't slow. They move very fast and are very strong."

"What are?"

"Vampires."

"What?" Steve stopped and turned as the two gray creatures stepped out onto the dark street. "Holy shit!" He turned and ran. "Get me to Stark Industries."

"Turn here. There's a fence…"

"I see it." He jumped sideways, kicked off the wall, and vaulted over the chain-link fence.

"Turn right at the next street. You're three blocks away from your destination."

Steve didn't waste time or breath answering. He simply pushed himself harder. He could slowly begin to see the tower in the skyline. Like all the other buildings he was passing, it was dark. And still, the streets were empty.

"There are now seven on your trail."

Steve mentally cursed himself as he rushed for the building. He prayed the door were unlocked. His lungs were burning as he cut across the street. He hadn't slowed or stopped. He hadn't given himself ample time for breathing. And the building was suddenly looming in front of him. He ran head first into the front doors, skidding on the pavement. He smacked hard into the reinforced glass and bounced off. He scraped himself up off the pavement and ripped the doors open. He pressed himself into the shadows and took a few much needed deep breaths.

"For the moment, you've evaded them. They are doubling back, it seems. Take a few moments and then I suggest you get moving again. They'll be back."

Steve, still breathing deeply, nodded. He straightened up, sucked in another deep breath, and turned. The interior of the main entrance was completely black. Rooms and offices lined all the walls. There weren't any windows, not that there was any light to filter in if there had been. "I don't suppose you double as a flash light."

The display appeared and lit up the space around him.

He let out a sharp laugh. "You know… there was a time when I'd think this kind of stuff was weird. But I don't." He stepped forward and the light followed him. He lifted his hand to touch it and found he could direct it. He turned around slowly, shining it on the walls, floors, ceilings. Everything looked… picked over. Not looted or broken into exactly. Contents of drawers and cabinets and desks were unloaded, placed on counters and desktops. Nothing electrical or mechanical was left. Nothing much besides pens, paper, tape… just regular office supplies. The vending machines in the employee lounge were empty, looking broken into, though all the glass had been cleaned up. It was almost… as if it were politely looted.

And like the library, everything was covered in dust and grime. Every floor was empty. Every office he glanced into was empty. No sign that Pepper or anyone else had been inside the building in quite some time. He sighed deeply and rubbed at the back of his neck. Now what was he supposed to do? No trace of Pepper or any of the other employees. And he cursed himself for not knowing the woman's address. He'd never been to her home. Tony had, he was sure. The man had to have been on multiple occasions. But when ever Steve had been involved, it was always meeting her at the office or some restaurant or her coming to the tower.

He leaned against her door and ran his fingers over her name. "Sparky, can you look up a person for me? Like… phone number? Or contact information or whatever it is they do now?"

"I can look up communications."

"Pepper Potts? Virginia Potts?"

"Classified."

"Classified?" He repeated.

"Restricted Intel."

"From who?"

"Restricted."

Steve sighed and rolled his eyes. He was at a complete loss. He turned for the stairwell. He climbed the last few flights until he reached the roof. Like all the others, the door was unlocked. He stepped outside and breathed in the cooling night air. Well if nothing else, at least now he knew. Wherever Pepper was, she didn't frequent work.

"Not to interrupt, but the vampires have caught onto your scent again, it appears."

Steve glanced down as the display came up. Several more than seven red dots surrounded the building. Steve dashed over to the edge of the roof and leaned over. It was too far down and too dark. But he thought maybe, something was moving. "Shit." He breathed out.

"Can I make a suggestion?"

"Yeah." He breathed out. "Kind of stuck here. So yeah. Suggest away." Though he was pretty sure what the voice was going to say. He just hated admitting defeat and giving up so easily. He felt so close!

"Turn your tracker back on and call Bree."

Steve nodded slowly. "Yeah. I thought you might say that." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I think that's a good idea. Get her on the line for me, please."

A few seconds later, Bree's voice was in his head. "Captain Rogers! Thank god!" She sounded relieved.

There was a laugh. Loki. "You're welcome."

"Shut up Loki!" She snapped. "We don't have time for your bullshit. Where are you, Captain?"

"Uh…" He fumbled for a moment and touched the tiny piece of tech on his ear. "Sparky, turn the tracker back on."

"What?" Bree asked. "Something's sparking?"

"Stark Industries." Steve said quickly. "Roof."

"Oh! Oh there you are. I see it. Loki!" She snapped. "Loki, turn around."

"Yeah, yeah." Loki mumbled. "I see it too."

"On our way."

Steve leaned back over the edge of the building and peered down. Now he could see them. Crawling up the side of the building. They were moving slow, not in any sort of hurry it seemed. They didn't think he'd be able to get away. "Can you hurry?"

There was a pause before she answered. "What's happening?"

Steve let out a sharp laugh as he stepped away from the edge. He turned and scanned the perimeter of the roof. "I know why you wanted to get back before nightfall."

"Were you bitten?"

"No." He said quickly. "They didn't get close enough."

She breathed out a sigh of relief.

"But uh… they may be scaling the building."

"Two minutes." She said quickly.

Steve jumped back as he heard the scraping. The gray creature pulled itself up over the edge. Long black hair pull back in a ponytail, red eyes, tank top and pants. Steve guessed she looked like she was human. Once. Maybe. "I may not have two minutes."

"You shouldn't have jumped from the jet." Loki snarled.

The vampire rushed at him and he dodged her. "If someone had told me there were vampires…" He spun around quickly and the creature looked confused as she turned towards him. "Maybe I wouldn't have."

"Fine." Loki said, his voice heavy with sarcasm. "Let me freeze you for a few more years and then we'll wake you up and tell you all about the vampires."

"Appreciated." He dodged the vampire again as she raced him and swung out with her fist. She was smaller than Steve but she was fast.

"Okay." Bree interrupted. "Who are the adults here? You guys or me? Quit the bickering."

The vampire growled at him, frustrated. Steve rounded on her this time. He kicked out, caught her by surprise, and sent her flying. She leapt up and practically flew at him. He tried to dodge her again but wasn't quite fast enough. He was thrown to the ground and the vampire landed on top of him, growling and snapping. Steve moved as fast as he could. He pulled his legs up and kicked and sent her flying. He jumped up, raced towards her, and hauled her up by the collar of her shirt. Two steps and he was close enough to the edge. He smiled as kicked her and she stumbled off the roof.

Steve took a few deep breaths, his smile widening. He turned slowly and his smile fell and his eyes widened. In front of him stood five more. "Oh shit."

"Cover your eyes." Came Bree's voice.

Steve lifted his hand. Twin, bright ultra violet beams fell on the building. Shrieks and hissed filled the night as the vampires tried to shield themselves from the lights burning their skin. The jet turned and lowered over the roof. The hanger door fell open and Bree stood at the edge. "Captain Rogers!" She called into his ear.

Steve eyed the hissing vampires in front of him. He turned and ran towards the jet. He jumped and for the second time, he pulled himself up into the jet. Bree turned and smiled at him and reached for his arm. Then the jet lurched as a group of vampires avoided the lights and jumped at the jet. Bree stumbled backwards and fell.

"Loki!" She screamed.

The jet immediately dipped. "Grab her!"

Steve was already moving. He lunged forward and managed to grab her outstretched wrist as a vampire grabbed her ankle. "I got her. Go!" Steve hollered as Bree kicked out.

Loki spun the jet around as Steve hauled Bree up and the clinging vampire was shaken loose. The door slid shut under them and Bree rolled over, lying on her back. She was still for a moment, her chest moving with each breath. Steve bent down beside her and she shook her head. "Fine." She breathed out. "Just…" She struggled for a moment with the right word. "Shaken."

Loki hit the autopilot and jumped up. He shoved past Steve and knelt down. "Princess, are you okay?" He reached down and pulled her up. He lifted her up easily and attempted to hold her and inspect her ankle at the same time.

"I'm fine." She said, flailing slowly. "Put me down. Loki!"

Reluctantly, Loki nodded and set her down. The moment he was sure she was right on her feet, he spun around. He narrowed his eyes at Steve and lifted a finger. "You do that again and I will fucking kill you."

Steve frowned, confused, and shook his head. He took a step back and held up his hands. "It was an accident. She fell. I caught her."

"Never endanger her like that again."

Bree rolled her eyes. "Down, Loki. She can take care of herself."

"Human, Bree." He snapped, looking back at her. "Human. You are human. You're not some super solider or god or mutant. And you weren't bitten by a radioactive anything or in a gama-radiation storm."

"I'm a fucking genius." She said with a smug smile. "That's what I am."

"Human!"

"Shut up and get us home."

Loki sat back down at the controls.

**-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-**

It was only a few minutes later before another large, dark building loomed ahead. The jet slowed and began descending. "Open the doors. It's us." Bree said. "A bit later than expected. We had a run in with the locals."

Steve stood up and moved closer to the window. The building was tall and dark. It wasn't just the lack of lights. The building itself looked dark. No windows or anything were visible. It looked… almost plated… in metal or something. He knew this place, he was sure. He just wasn't sure where they were. But the dark building, the dark street looked familiar. Even at night… the city had never been dark before. There were always lights. There were always people. It all just looked… alien… foreign. Steve turned slowly and ran a hand through his hair and down his neck.

He didn't know how this girl thought she knew him. He doubted she even did. But there was no way it had only been a year. 20, 50, 100? He didn't know. He didn't know what to think.

There was a clanking and a boom, and they were shrouded in darkness. "Light." Bree said and was quickly illuminated by the holographic screen. Loki followed and Steve mumbled the word out as well. She shrugged when Steve looked at her. "Like I said, it's useful. We don't have a lot of power left. Come on, follow us." Bree lead the way and Loki fell in a step behind her.

Steve let out a sigh and followed a bit more slowly. They were underground, he was sure. They twisted and turned a couple times, then came out into a dimly lit room. They didn't stop and Steve followed them towards an elevator. Steve hesitated for a moment before stepping on behind them.

"Jay, activate the basement elevator." Bree said, turning around. "Bring us upstairs."

The lights slowly came on and the doors slowly closed. He'd been on an elevator once where everyone on with him wanted to kill him. As he watched the doors shut, he wasn't completely sure this wasn't a similar situation. The elevator began to hum and then he felt it moving upwards. He watched the two of them out of the corners of his eyes. Loki was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, relaxed. Bree was smiling widely, practically bouncing on her feet.

The elevator began to slow and it stopped and the doors open. Bree clapped her hands and bounced out.

"Welcome back Miss Bree." A loud voice said. "As always, it is good to see your still with us, Loki."

"Yeah, yeah." Loki waved the voice off, pushing past Bree.

Steve stood, staring out of the elevator. Now he knew why it looked familiar.

"Welcome home, Captain Rogers."

"Jarvis!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to figure out exactly how I want to do the backstory. Like what went down, why they were all frozen, who was behind it all, and the recap of what's happened since then. Just one giant talking chapter with Bree, Loki, and Jarvis explaining it? Flashbacks? Spread it out over a couple chapters while they go save someone else? Not sure yet. Haha.


End file.
